If You Only Knew. The Autobiography of a Legendary Violinist

David Garrett was born in Aachen, to an American prima ballerina and a German lawyer who later engaged in violin trading. Thanks to perseverance and discipline, by the age of ten, young David was performing on stage with major international orchestras. Later, as a teenager, he virtuously played the most complex works of composers such as Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Paganini, Tchaikovsky, and Rachmaninoff. However, like all star prodigies, there came a turning point in his life when he needed to decide how to move forward in the adult world of classical music. Young David went to New York, to one of the most prestigious educational institutions in the arts — The Juilliard School. The mentorship of renowned violinists Ida Haendel and Isaac Stern, as well as a meeting with Itzhak Perlman, played no small part in this decision. It was there that he first tried a new musical style — crossover, blending classical and pop music, which would later bring him worldwide fame. The reader is presented with the success story of the German virtuoso and innovator David Garrett, told in his own words. This is a story of making a mark in the world of classical music and its behind-the-scenes, of ups and downs, successes and struggles, but above all — it is a story of love for music.